The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body, and damage or compression to any area of the nerve can cause symptoms like pain, leg weakness or numbness. Sciatic nerve compression, also known as sciatica, can be quite uncomfortable, and many people want to know if it will resolve on its own. In today’s blog, we explain if sciatica will go away on its own and the best ways to treat the condition.
Will My Sciatic Nerve Pain Go Away?
The good news is that sciatic nerve compression or nerve irritation will oftentimes resolve without the need for a surgical procedure. That being said, we’re hesitant to say that the condition will resolve on its own, because that sounds as if it will go away if you do nothing. Doing nothing typically makes the condition worse, because odds are your current habits are contributing to your nerve irritation.
For example, your weight, your posture and your activity levels could all be contributing to your sciatica nerve irritation. Doing nothing to account for these factors isn’t likely to lead to symptom relief, and as we mentioned above, may lead to a worsening of symptoms. That said, most cases of sciatica can be lessened or alleviated with simple conservative treatments.
Before we dive into treatment, it’s worth noting that an official diagnosis is very important to this process. Sciatic nerve compression can be caused by a few different issues, like a herniated disc, the formation of a bone spur, the presence of a tumor or as a complication of an underlying health condition like diabetes. Knowing what you’re dealing with will help the specialist chart your course for recovery, so set up an appointment if you’re dealing with shooting nerve pain or leg weakness possibly caused by sciatica.
Conservative Treatment Options
Common conservative treatment options for sciatic nerve pain include:
- Physical Therapy – Physical therapy can help in a number of ways, including strengthening structures, helping shift discs back into their proper location and calming inflammation. These exercises can also be highly targeted based on the location of your nerve compression.
- Gentle Stretching Techniques – Stretching can help to relieve nerve compression and increase your normal range of motion.
- Anti-Inflammatories – Medications can help to calm inflammation that could be compressing the nerve, but these should also be paired with some active techniques.
- Hot/Cold Therapy – Ice can help to limit swelling that could compress the sciatic nerve, while heat can help relieve muscle tension that could be affecting the nerve. Use both and see which one works best for you.
- Posture Adjustments – Making adjustments to your seated and standing posture can help to take a lot of pressure off your lumbar spine and the sciatic nerve, so make some adjustments and perform regular posture checks.
- See A Specialist – Finally, if you’re still struggling to find relief with the above methods, consider setting up an appointment with a specialist like Dr. Jackman. He may be able to perform some more hands-on treatments like manual therapy or corticosteroid injections, and if all else fails, a minimally invasive procedure to decompress the nerve could also be on the table.
For more information about overcoming sciatic nerve pain, or to talk about your discomfort with a provider, give Dr. Jackman and his team a call today at (651) 430-3800.
